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The employment landscape has changed significantly, particularly in the last decade or so. Fewer students are enrolling in traditional universities, forcing companies to rethink hiring requirements. Most recently, of course, there has been a greater adoption and demand to operate remotely.
These might seem like disparate elements. However, one thing linking them is how eLearning has risen alongside these changes. Online education gives students courses at a fraction of the cost of traditional universities. The need to function in online spaces also gives students experience in remote environments. One of the ways you can find employees best suited to the contemporary workforce is by seeking those with a good range of eLearning skills.
We’re going to take a moment to review a few of the areas in applicant resumes you can focus on and the elements to keep an eye out for.
There are options for online courses and qualifications for most disciplines. However, it is not necessarily the attainment of a degree or a diploma you should always be looking for. Rather, look at the skills that candidates acquire by the pursuit of each course or certification and consider the value this could provide to your company.
Yes, look for candidates with certifications relevant to the position. But don’t exclude people based on the origin or type of qualification. For instance, if you are hiring a cybersecurity professional, don’t just limit yourself to the familiar Cisco and Microsoft certifications. Third-party courses often provide a wider range of skills as they are not based on proprietary platforms.
Indeed, many businesses are starting to offer internal certifications for their employees. As such, it’s worth your time doing a little digging into the content of a course listed on the resume, rather than the provider name.
Perhaps equally important as the certification a candidate has acquired is the fact of the acquisition itself. Look specifically for courses candidates have pursued outside of the requirements of their previous employer. Applicants who have independently chosen to pursue a range of courses demonstrate a vital skill of self-driven behavior.
This is one of the most valuable abilities you can utilize as a business. It also shows the candidate is likely to be comfortable in engaging with your company’s internal training eLearning modules.
When reviewing resumes it’s easy to focus on the eLearning qualifications themselves. However, it’s important not to limit your consideration to the seemingly relevant or specialist certifications. Rather, you should think about how the courses translate to experiences that can be valuable additions to your business.
Get in Demand with Specialized experience
Look out for candidates who have gone into a little detail about not just the qualifications but their approach to learning. Some of the most impactful resumes are written from the perspective of a contextualized description of experiences rather than just a list of skills and jobs. Good candidates will often talk about what challenges they faced and the skills they used or acquired to overcome them.
Today, workers with remote skills are especially valuable. Pay attention to how the candidate is shaped, tailored, or adapted to the remote process itself.
Candidates with an understanding of the value of the online learning experience can be an asset to your business. Those who have passionately followed their curiosity into a remote course can set great examples for the rest of your team.
Candidates who have recognized the challenges of a remote learning experience may make for useful mentors and collaborators for your internal training programs. In essence, they can be great influencers and ambassadors of a positive eLearning culture in your organization.
One of the mistakes recruiters tend to make is considering candidates as potential cogs in the machine. Don’t approach the review process as just filling a role. You really want employees who want to engage with your company on an ownership level; this gives them an incentive to innovate. As such, an eLearning skill you should be looking out for on resumes is business acumen.
Keep an eye out for courses relating to entrepreneurism. Too many employers are put off by this because it suggests candidates have entrepreneurial ambitions and they’ll break away from the business. This may be the case, but their education in the basics of starting a business will be extremely valuable during the time they choose to stay with your business.
Indeed, you can lean into this by talking to them about their ambitions and supporting them with additional training. They will not only tend to stay with you longer, applying these skills to your trajectory, but the business they eventually start may well become a valuable supplier or partner later on.
However, the resume can only tell you so much in this regard. When you find a candidate with business skills, take the chance to reach out and talk to them, even if this is just a short remote call. You can gain a sense of what they feel is important in business and how their perspective can impact your own enterprise.
Even something as simple as their choice of wearing business casual attire in a remote setting can give you insights into how they’re likely to represent your company on a daily basis. It’s an indicator of care, respect, and how they feel business should be undertaken. This may be a small effort, but it can tell you a lot.
Our current business landscape is one that benefits greatly from employees who have a solid approach to eLearning. When you’re reviewing resumes, pay close attention to the candidate’s choices of courses and certifications they pursue.
Remember, the eLearning experience in itself is an important indicator of a curious attitude. Candidates who have learned about business can also have an impact on the success of your company. This is an exciting time for eLearning and there are many ways your business stands to benefit from it.
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